[8.0] "Undercard tags: Solid but uneventful. The addition of the DDT guys made it interesting enough to be worth watching, especially Higuichi. Williams vs Ogawa: Nice farewell match for Williams, but really not much going on here [**]. Backbreakers vs Hi69 and Tanaka: Good match that focused on the heels working Kumano's (gross looking) black eye. Ended up dragging, should have been 5 minutes shorter [***]. Harada vs Suzuki: Fantastic match. Harada is one of the best jrs in the world and Suzuki isn't too far off. This had a big match feel, the crowd bought into the stakes (if Harada lost RATELS disband) and the nearfalls were exciting - there was a particularly great sequence of pinning combinations with creative counters. There were some fairly rough looking head and neck bumps too. The match ended a bit abruptly, which worked, and it was a hot finish but I really could have done with more of this. Post match angle kinda undid the work of the stips and fell a bit flat, but it sets up some matches at least [****1/2]. Hooligans vs Shiozaki and Nakajima: Good garbage match that accomplished what it set out to do. Hooligans interfered, used weapons, and isolated Shiozaki who did a really disgusting blade job - clouds of blood would come up when Hino chopped him. [***1/2] Kiyomiya vs Sugiura: A very good match, which means it's just average for Sugiura's awesome reign. This is the biggest thing to happen in NOAH all year, and I love the commitment and guts they are showing by putting the title on Kiyomiya. The match was methodical, with some mean looking floor spots. Their timing was a bit off, Kiyomiya seemed nervous perhaps, and the ending was abrupt considering how monumental the win was and how long and well-regarded Sugiura's reign was. But overall a good match, just not on the level of Sugiura vs Nakajima or Shiozaki (I shouldn't expect this from a 22 year old, but he is the champion now after all). [****]"